The Japanese Grand Prix was a big occasion for the hosting nation as it is not every day that a Japanese driver is driving a Red Bull-powered car with a Japanese engine at a Japanese circuit. But Honda and Yuki Tsunoda made it possible.
The 24-year-old driver, since his childhood, has been supported by Honda. So much that even in his recent move to Red Bull, Honda reportedly provided monetary support. Thus, together they came a long way.
With such being the occasion for Tsunoda, Honda’s racing president, Koji Watanabe, had some advice for the 24-year-old. “I told him to stay calm, but I was anything but calm. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this nervous.”
“I was even afraid that I would transfer my nervousness to him, but I was pleased that he kept his cool,” added Watanabe. Tsunoda impressed everyone during the first round of qualifying as he was only a tenth behind four-time champion Max Verstappen, a driver who rarely has been matched by any of his previous teammates at Red Bull.
But things changed when Tsunoda was eliminated in the next round, qualifying only P15. His successor, Liam Lawson, finished right ahead, which made everyone wonder whether Red Bull’s second driver problems would continue.
That said, Tsunoda did have a better main race as he finished P12, the kind of performance that impressed Watanabe, who labeled it “fantastic“. Although Tsunoda would definitely be expected to perform much better, this result was not that bad, considering that the RB21’s handling issues are out in the open and this was just his first race with the team.
️| Yuki Tsunoda ahead of #BahrainGP
“I am looking forward to being in Bahrain this weekend and having time to fully focus on racing with my team.
“Japan was a crazy week, the whole build up was very busy and the week itself too. I loved having my home race but I am equally… pic.twitter.com/hKHPXvBIJW
— Hawk (@Hawk9248) April 8, 2025
When Tsunoda was announced as the new Red Bull driver, Helmut Marko confirmed that he would get the rest of the season, unlike Lawson, who just received two races. With this reassurance, Watanabe is “looking forward to seeing him (Tsunoda) on the podium”.
While Honda is leaving Red Bull after this season, there is also a possibility of Tsunoda not getting beyond 2025 at Red Bull. Honda does have a solution for it.
Is Tsunoda still associated with Honda?
Recently, it was believed that Tsunoda is no longer associated with Honda. But his recent move to Red Bull does indicate that he is supported by the Japanese car manufacturers.
Watanabe recently claimed that they won’t be pressuring to release Tsunoda, so that he could join Aston Martin, if an opportunity arises. This suggests that Tsunoda will have an option to join the Silverstone-based outfit if Red Bull do not decide to extend his stay beyond 2025.
| HRC President Koji Watanabe clarified his latest statement about Honda and Yuki’s collaboration:
This was the last statement: “Tsunoda is not a Honda driver, but is basically an independent driver. On top of that, Honda has a sponsorship contract with Tsunoda. He is… pic.twitter.com/u4mxhIWhYe
— Hawk (@Hawk9248) March 26, 2025
So far, though, Tsunoda’s first race of the season seems to have impressed Red Bull’s bosses. “I mean, he lost out by qualifying, he made a mistake in Turn 1, but in all the other sessions he was pretty near 2 to 3 tenths of a mark, so that’s what we are looking for,” said Marko.
